Over a year later, the Deflategate scandal just won't go away.
Tom Brady's four-game suspension was upheld via a 2-1 vote on a three-judge panel in New York on Monday. The decision overturned a lower judge's conclusion and sided with commissioner Roger Goodell in the NFL and against the quarterback and the NFL Players Association.
"We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness," the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, according to ESPN.
Brady came under fire during the 2015 postseason when word broke out that the Patriots, who have a less than sterling history when it comes to bending the rules, used underinflated footballs during the AFC Championship Game. New England toppled Indianapolis handedly in that game and marched on to a Super Bowl victory.
Goodell suspended Brady for four games following the Deflategate scandal, which was to keep him out of the first four games of last season, but it was overturned and Brady played a full campaign before ultimately falling to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Now that the ruling has been overturned, the NFLPA can request a re-hearing.
The NFL released a statement saying it was "pleased" with the ruling, according to ESPN, while the NFLPA expressed disappointment over the decision, claiming Brady's rights "were violated."
As for Brady, the suspension could have other ramifications on his marriage. The quarterback has been married to super model Gisele Bundchen for seven years, but there were rumors of a rift happening between the two when the Deflategate scandal first came to light.
Though they've made strides to repair their public image as a happy family, there were also rumors that the four-time Super Bowl champion was tough to be around after the Patriots fell to the Broncos in the playoffs this season.
"[Tom] can be cold and angry, and when he's in that sort of mood nothing Gisele says will help," an insider told OK! Magazine last month. "They fought about everything and eventually stopped talking completely. They were just coexisting for the sake of the children."
It may be even harder to coexist if the first four games of the 2016 season are already wiped out for Brady.
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